What do you do if an HR candidate struggles to answer behavioral interview questions?
Behavioral interview questions are a common tool in the HR recruitment process. They allow you to understand how a candidate may react in specific work-related situations by asking them to describe past experiences and behaviors. However, it's not uncommon for candidates, even for HR positions, to struggle with these questions. When this happens, it's crucial to handle the situation with care, ensuring you still get the information you need to make an informed hiring decision without causing undue stress to the interviewee.
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Lubomira NikolovaGlobal HR Program Manager at Xerox
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Anthony Hammon, MBATalent Management Leader | Organizational Effectiveness | Human Resources | Change Management | Veteran
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Sergio Rocha Jr.Professor I Palestrante I Analista de Treinamento e Desenvolvimento I Treinador I Instrutor I Mentor I Pedagogo IâŠ
If an HR candidate stumbles on a behavioral question, gently probe for more details. Use follow-up questions to encourage them to think deeper about their experiences. For example, if they can't think of a situation where they resolved a conflict, ask about times they have worked as part of a team and faced challenges. This approach helps them to recall relevant instances without feeling cornered. Remember, the goal is to understand how they have navigated professional situations, not to intimidate them.
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Nesse caso, em primeiro lugar preciso me certificar que todos presentes entenderam de fato o que foi perguntado, cabe ao emissor a responsabilidade de fazer perguntas e explicå-las de formas diferentes, inclusive. Agora sim, estão os candidatos em condiçÔes iguais e justas para responder. Além disso, algumas pessoas ficam, de verdade, bem nervosas e isso atrapalha muito seu rendimento e muitos desses são ótimos profissionais. Em alguns casos cabe praticar a empatia e incentivå-los, uma conversa pode acalmar, uma ågua, uma ida ao banheiro para "respirar" um pouco
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I believe that at times you have to model what you except to get things going. Therefore, I will probably share an experience to break the ice and ask the person to share their own experience and how they handle the situation.
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Certainly! If a candidate struggles with a behavioral question, I would gently probe for more details by asking open-ended follow-up questions. For instance, if they can't recall a conflict resolution situation, I might ask about their experiences working in teams and facing challenges. This approach helps them recall relevant instances without feeling pressured. The goal is to understand their professional navigation, not to intimidate them.
Sometimes candidates struggle because they might not fully understand what's being asked. In such cases, offer clarity on the question. You could rephrase it or provide a brief explanation of what a behavioral question seeks to uncoverâspecific examples of past behavior as indicators of future performance. By ensuring the candidate understands the question, you create a better opportunity for them to provide a meaningful response.
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Certainly! A behavioral question aims to uncover specific examples of past behavior as indicators of future performance. It typically asks candidates to describe a situation they've faced, the actions they took, and the outcomes achieved. By understanding the question clearly, you'll have a better opportunity to provide a meaningful response. If you need further clarification or examples, feel free to ask!
Encourage candidates to draw from any professional experience they have, even if it's not directly related to an HR role. Suggest they consider examples from volunteer work, internships, or academic projects if their work history is limited. The key is to get them to demonstrate their soft skills and problem-solving abilities, which are transferable and valuable in an HR context.
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When discussing your experience, remember to draw from any relevant professional, volunteer, or academic projects. For instance, highlight instances where you demonstrated soft skills like communication, problem-solving, or leadership. Even if your background isn't directly in HR, showcase how you tackled challenges or collaborated effectively in various settings. This demonstrates your ability to adapt and apply skills across different contexts, which is invaluable in HR roles.
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In my time interviewing HR candidates, I've seen many struggle with behavioral questions. One candidate, fresh out of college, had limited work experience. I encouraged her to draw from her volunteer work and academic projects. She shared a story about organizing a campus event, highlighting her teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills. This not only showcased her abilities but also gave her confidence. When interviewing, remind candidates that the essence of these questions is to reveal their transferable skills and how they handle situations. By framing their responses around various life experiences, they can effectively demonstrate their suitability for the role.
It's important to remain patient and supportive throughout the interview. If a candidate is struggling, acknowledge the difficulty of the question and reassure them that it's okay to take a moment to think. This can help reduce their anxiety and give them the space needed to formulate their thoughts. Your patience not only aids in getting better answers but also reflects positively on your company's culture.
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During the interview, it's crucial to stay patient and supportive, especially if a candidate is struggling. Acknowledge the challenge of the question and reassure them that it's okay to take a moment to think. This helps reduce their anxiety and allows them to gather their thoughts. Your patience not only leads to better answers but also reflects positively on our company's culture.
When an HR candidate has difficulty with behavioral questions, it's essential to evaluate their potential beyond these answers. Consider their educational background, technical skills, and enthusiasm for the role. Sometimes, a candidate's potential and willingness to learn can be more valuable than perfect answers to interview questions. Look for signs of a growth mindset and adaptability, which are crucial traits for success in HR.
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When assessing HR candidates struggling with behavioral questions, it's important to look beyond just their answers. Consider factors like educational background, technical skills, and enthusiasm for the role. A candidate's potential and willingness to learn can often outweigh perfect interview responses. Look for signs of a growth mindset and adaptability, as these traits are key for success in HR.
Lastly, if multiple candidates struggle with the same questions, it might be time to reassess the questions themselves. Are they too vague or complex? Do they accurately reflect situations in your workplace? Use this feedback to refine your interview process, ensuring that it effectively evaluates candidates' suitability for the role in a fair and straightforward manner.
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Behavioral questions are often not very predictive due to the accelerating pace of business change. They require that the candidate has faced the situation asked about, yet ignore the organizational context, which the interviewers are unaware of. Instead, use situational questions, which allows the candidate to tailor their answers to the job and organization being interviewed for.
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If the candidate is not able to answer the questions there could be a few reasons why: - If you're interviewing in English, then it's possible that English is not their first language, which could cause some confusion in processing the question mentally. - Maybe the question was not worded correctly Try reframing the question and provide clarity as much as possible
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When multiple candidates struggle with the same questions, it's crucial to reassess them for clarity, relevance, and complexity. Consider whether the questions accurately reflect real situations in the workplace and if they're fair and straightforward. Use candidate feedback to refine the interview process, ensuring it effectively evaluates suitability for the role.
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An important part of the interview process and your role, is to observe before jumping to conclusions or judgments. 1. Personality - introverts might fee uncomfortable sharing personal experiences with strangers. Strategy: look for cues and break away from the script. Try to make them more comfortable and build rapport first. 2. Neurodiversity - there might be factors in the interview environment we as interviewer are oblivious to but which might be excruciating to others such as bright lights, background noises, strong smells, etc. Strategy: Pay attention to the environment and what you are doing at the moment. Observe the body language of the person you're interviewing and ask openly if anything bothers them.
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